When Jesus Restores The Fallen Series

Message

John 21:15-25

When Jesus Restores the Fallen

Do you sometimes live your life with a sense of regret?

I do.

In fact it can be a real struggle and I need to keep challenging myself to stop.

Because, when you can keep on looking back, you can find yourself somewhat trapped by the past.

And we don’t want to be trapped by the past.

In fact Jesus doesn’t want us to be trapped by the past.

Jesus has come to enable us to move forward.

As we look at our last message in our series on John that truth clearly comes out.

Let’s read John 21:15-25

So how did we get to this point?

It all started because there was the denial of Peter.

It started with a great sense of conviction that it would never happen.

Let me read Matthew 26:31-35

31 Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

‘“I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”

32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’

33 Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’

34 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’

35 But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.

He is so sure. He is so wrong.

Asked by a servant girl … he denies it.

Asked by another person … he denies it.

Asked by a third person … he calls down curses upon himself and denies it.

When the denial occurs this is what happens:-

61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:61-62)

That is Peter.

Taking hasty action that he regretted later. Like stepping out of the boat and ending up in the water.

Saying things he wished he had not. Like telling Jesus he can’t go the cross and then finding Jesus say to him, “Get behind me Satan!”.

But his denial of the Lord must have weighed heavy on his heart.

I wonder how many times he played that moment over and over in His head?

You do that, don’t you, when something happens that you regret.

Especially when that regret is related to the way that you live your Christian life.

How many times, even in the past week, have you done something that you feel a sense of regret because you want to act differently before the Lord.

Maybe it was words you used … or didn’t use.

Maybe it was a witnessing opportunity that evaporated because you didn’t take it.

A behaviour pattern.

A reoccurring sin.

A constant disappointing action.

An accusation against God.

A sense of doubt.

You see that is the reality of the Christian life isn’t it.

It isn’t always jumping around with our hands in the air.

We aren’t always on our knees in powerful communion with Jesus.

We live in a sin-stained, broken, draining world.

We have responsibilities and commitments and bills, and debt, and worry.

And isn’t there times when we know we need to be standing up for Jesus but really there is life.

And we say …

… well we don’t actually say it, but in the way we act at times …

We are basically saying Jesus can you please just leave me alone for a moment.

I don’t want to be close. I just need to not be identified as your disciple for a moment.

It probably doesn’t sound like a good idea to say that stuff out loud.

But isn’t that the reality sometimes?

Haven’t you been there are some point. Verging on that sense of denial.

For a moment Jesus I’m not really wanting to be your disciple.

It isn’t the end of your faith.

It isn’t that you are chucking it all in.

It is usually just a moment in time.

But it sits in the space where denial takes place.

And it will be a moment that has regrets.

When you are in that space it is then that you are in Peter’s shoes.

What does Jesus do with Peter.

Well that is how we end up on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

We saw a couple of weeks ago that seven disciples are out fishing, but catch nothing all night. Jesus comes at dawn on the shore and says, “Put the net on the other side.” Now they have too many fish.